I know it's not everybody's cup of tea, but have you considered antiques?
Much of furniture is vintage stuff I've acquired over the last ~15 years. Solid, real wood (which you'd pay a premium for new), durable, often built really well.
I've fixed up/re-finished a few pieces that were in pretty bad shape on the surface, and I don't really have a clue what I'm doing, so I'd say anybody can do it.
Calgary (and much of S. Alberta, actually) can be really expensive when it comes to antiques, but there are deals to be had if you're on the lookout.
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